Adaptation of Rice to Flooded Soils

Abstract

This paper and its companion (Colmer et al., 2014) review research on the adaptation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) to the wide range of semi-aquatic environments in which it grows. The paper considers well-regulated flooding to 5–20 cm depth; the companion considers deeper flooding in rainfed conditions. Flooded environments are dominated by the very slow diffusion of gases in water and the resulting changes in soil chemical and biological conditions. Adaptations to these potentially toxic conditions hinge on an optimum ventilation network in the plant, providing O2 to the roots and rhizosphere, both being critical for favourable nutrition and tolerance of reduced-soil toxins. Rice has become a model for studying adaptation to flooded soils and flood-prone environments because of its relatively simple genome and large genetic diversity, and its extreme tolerance of flooded soils compared with other crop species.